Keeping You Alive For Me

Chapter 1: Stay with me (Part 1)

He held the vines that had grown alongside the castle wall as he climbed his way down from one of the tallest windows. His cape was floating in the wind as he lifted himself and grabbed one of the big vines for support. It was then when his foot slipped from a weak and damp vine he lost his balance on, but managed to hold himself up by the vine he was previously holding. Grunting, he threw his right arm forward and held on tight so he could support his feet. Once settled he continued to climb down the wall with a little more ease.

The moon was full and bright, and the night was hot and breezy. Shaoran settled his feet on the window sill of the kitchen quarters and fell back into it to hide himself from the guard that had passed by.

Sneaking out on a Friday night wasn't unusual for Shaoran. He was a seventeen young man, and heir to his fathers thrown, which made his life a little uneasy for him. He never wanted this life. He never felt that he should have servants wait on him for the rest of his life. When he was twelve he had planned to change the ways of the castle and make the servants lives more pleasant to live and work in a castle without crudeness from the guests. Although his parents were always kind to the servants, he was still not aloud to change such rules. Not even after his father's death.

The coast was clear, as it was every Friday night at the exact same time, Shaoran leaped from the sill and landed gracefully on the stone walkway and ran lightly towards the stables.

Unlocking one of the stables he quickly walked in and stared at the white stallion in front of him.

"Hello, Belle." He said calmly as he slowly walked up to the fine hoarse. She stared back with eyes that glittered with the stars and turned her head more so that Shaoran could pet her long snout. "Are you ready?" He said, and smiled at her eagerness when she shook her head ruthlessly. He chuckled and pulled her out of her stable.

The wind blew past Shaoran's face as Belle took him threw the forest at her fastest speed. Shaoran laughed with joy as he clutched her rope. He narrowed his eyes from the pressure of air that hit his face and grinned at the racing of his heart. "How I've missed this." He said to both himself and Belle. Belle slowed down and softly galloped along a small path that led to a clearing.

The meadow.

Shaoran jumped down from Belle's back once she had stopped and started to eat some of the tall grasses as she waited for Shaoran. Shaoran smiled at the beautiful overlay of the meadow at night. The fireflies lit up the meadow like usual, and slowly flew around like magic crystal lights. Shaoran never got tired of this place.

He sat on a slight hill and looked out on the peaceful field. He felt the wind tickle his neck and lifted his head to close his eyes at the sensation. Letting the wind gently play with his hair and felt his cape being lifted into the air. The winds current slowed and went back to a softer breeze. Shaoran took his cape off so that he could walk lighter and stood up. Once he dropped the cape on the ground he heard a voice to his right.

"Kero…" A whisper was heard to his right. Shaoran turned from Belle to see what was making such noise. It was still too dark to see past the trees, but he saw something move. He looked more closely and concentrated on the figure.

"Kero…where are you?"

It was a girl's voice. Shaoran saw her more clearly now. She wore a maids dress; ripped from the side of her hip to the bottom, creating a crease that aloud anyone to see the side of her left leg. It had no sleeves, with only the hanging of one strap, as the other, or what it looked like, had been ripped as well and fell just above her chest. She was completely covered however, yet he could see she was very skinny and pail. The hem of the dress was ripped from one side to another. He noticed that it had been patched many times and was very old. Her hair was short and brown.

She stopped at the lip of the forest, in which she had came from, and held the tree to catch her breath and searched the fields. She didn't see him however. He was to the sharp left of her, and she was facing her right.

"Where on earth did he go?" She asked herself softly. And despite their distance, Shaoran could hear what she was saying. He decided to walk towards her and held Belle's snout and ordered her to stay.

The girl heard his footsteps and turned sharply towards him with wide eyes. She backed up to the tree she was leaning on and watched him fearfully as he came. He noticed her fright and slowed down. He stared at her. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, besides this valley. Her eyes were of the color of the sea, and they shined with the fireflies lights of the night. Her lips were small and pink, and her nose was perfect in shape and size. Shaoran saw a cut beside her lip that started to bruise. He could tell she had been beaten, and had a feeling that she had thought that he was another person to hurt her.

His eyes showed sympathy as he had realized his real intentions and her fright, he decided to calm her, "I will not hurt you." He said calmly.

The girl shot him a suspicious glare and turned her head to the side. All she did was stare at him with the same untrusting look, and he was sure he saw a bit of hate in those gorgeous eyes.

"I am…here with my hoarse." He told her as he pointed behind him to the hoarse on the hill. The girl had calmed down a bit and loosened her muscles but kept her eye on the boy in front of her. He looked at her again and felt better that she was not giving him the same hateful glare as before.

"May I ask…who you are looking for?" He asked her kindly. The girl threw a quick suspicious glance and turned her eyes downward in thought, before she watched him again. She contemplated on weather she should tell this boy and hope that he would not harm her or Kero. She noticed that the boy had a kind face, but so did her master…

She turned her eyes downward again, and did not look at him. Shaoran noticed that she was intending on ignoring him, and he didn't blame her. He saw a firefly fly past him and quickly snatched it, causing the girl to look up at him. She watched him curiously, pull out a small glass bottle from his pouch and covered the opened top with his hand. He opened his hand and she saw a little white light escape his hand, into the jar. He closed the top and held out the jar to her, "This will get you back home, and, hopefully, it will help you find your friend." He told her. She slowly moved in and took it cautiously, still eyeing him. He smiled weakly at her.

She looked down at the bug, closing in on it with her face so she could see it more clearly. She smiled at it and looked up to him. She almost gasped when she saw that he had started walking back to his hoarse. She looked to the side sadly and looked back at his back.

"Wait…"

He stopped and looked over his shoulder. She was at a loss for words. He turned around fully and waited for her to speak.

"I…um…"

Shaoran smiled slightly at her attempt to open up to him. He saw her look down and narrowed his eyes at the girl, what was she trying to say?

"My name is Shaoran." He told her casually. She looked up at him, surprised, but smiled as she obligated, "My name is Sakura." Shaoran's smile grew. A beautiful name that suited a beautiful girl.

"I am…trying to find my pet, Kero. He umm, ran away."

"Why?" His question struck her. She did not know how to answer. She looked at the jar and contemplated yet again, weather she should tell him the honest truth or not.

"My master…hit me…and," She paused. Shaoran's smile was swiped away quickly when she had said this. He walked up to her.

"Kero, tried to defend me." She finally said with the courage she never knew she had. Yet she was interrupted with the tears that have threatened her eyes for so long. She lost her voice as she wept. Shaoran caught her as her knees gave out from underneath her, and helped her get seated comfortably.

The girl threw her hands up to her face as she cried. Shaoran knew something had happened to the animal. But he also knew she would never find him at this time of night. He suddenly had the urge to want to help her out and stay with her until she was in a safe place. Surely the place she lived at now was not a safe home to live in, especially when the people who owned her had beaten her, probably numerous times, Shaoran thought. Shaoran's eyebrows rose as he thought this…her master. She was a slave. It had just occurred to him now that she was a servant or slave.

The thought of slaves and servants brought back the reasons why he did not want to live a life of a prince or king. The servants in his palace were never tortured in any way. But the citizens owned them as well…the wealthy citizens; that was. And Shaoran never thought about their hardships until now. What a fool he felt just now, staring down at a beautiful girl who did not deserve such tolerance in the horrible household she had stayed at now, and had no opinions she could share, or chances. She was forced, forced to live a life of hurt…not just physical hurt, but emotional hurt as well.

Shaoran sat more comfortably now, sitting in front of the girl, thinking about this and not even welcoming the thought of trying to say something comforting to her. Shaoran opened his mouth, "Surely an animal such as your pet will not go into hiding in an open field," He started. Sakura looked up at him in utter amazement, she had not been thinking, of course Kero wouldn't do such a thing. "You will not find him on your own also. But it is late. You should rest and try to find him in the morning."

"But I can't." Sakura told him bluntly, but then had a look of thought.

"Why?" Shaoran asked, giving her a look of puzzlement.

"My…my master will be expecting me to…"

Shaoran closed his eyes, and then looked to the side emotionless. He does not want her to go back to a life she will have to live…without happiness. But then it occurred to him.

He was the prince of Tomoeda. He could do something about this. He looked at the girl and saw that she had looked down sadly in realization that she would have to go back home. Shaoran decided to stand up and stare down at her with a face that he was trained to have. A face that told even the most ignorant people, that he was in charge.

"Stay with me." He told her. Sakura looked up at him and looked at his face. She was confused, why was a stranger she just met asking her to stay with him?

She looked in his eyes again and relaxed her muscles, how could she stand up to a man who gave her such a look. It melted her body, and she could do nothing but to obey. Her face fell as she spoke, "Why?"

"Because…" Shaoran started. But he could not keep this face for long. His sympathy and kindness took over yet again, and he was back on his knees. "Because no one deserves to go home, where they know they must suffer for others own selfishness." He whispered as he got closer to her, waiting for her to look up at him so that he could make her understand.

Once she looked up her eyes started to water, "Why do you show such pity?" She whispered hesitantly. The look she gave him was enough to make his knees crumble and weaken. She looked hurt, and it pained him to see such tolerance in a girl who has made such sacrifices her whole life. He was about to open his mouth to speak again, when he heard a noise to the left and they both looked up to see what it was.

Sakura's eyes widened as she watched the fields in wonder. Shaoran looked at her as she gasped and started to run towards the fields and screamed for joy, "Kero!"

Shaoran's surprised face summoned his hoarse to his aid, but stopped beside him as Shaoran stood slowly. Belle made a noise and looked to watch the girl as well. Shaoran watched with sad eyes. The girl was happy with just a pet, when she could be happy with a life of her own. It amazed him to see someone with only one joy; that kept them going through horrible times. But how could that be true happiness?

Shaoran wasn't even happy with his dream of not become a king and to not show servants the cruelty that Sakura had gotten. He watched the girl smile and kept the image of her in front of the moon, in her scrap dress, holding an animal in her arms, smiling like the real terrifying reality didn't exist, and smiled lightly to himself. Yet it faded quickly when he sighed in realizing that her moment of happiness could not be for forever.

"That man is not worth your work, Sakura!" Shaoran heard someone say.

"He hits you almost everyday for no reason." The voice was low and raspy, like a man that wanted to sound younger. He wondered where the voice had come from and looked back at Sakura and the animal. Once he set eyes on the animal, his eyes went wide. It was up in the air, yet it was not falling.

"You've got to get away from it, Sakura!"

Shaoran moved slowly towards them. The animal was talking, and flying. It seemed so unreal, like a dream, yet Shaoran stared at it and could tell it was real. His feet started moving him to them faster and before he could stop himself he was beside them both. He stared at the animal like nothing else mattered... but this creature.

TO BE CONTINUED……